The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for the government to review the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966 (Act 350) to better prevent the exploitation of underprivileged children, who may have been driven to turn to employment to assist their parents financially over the course of the movement control order (MCO).
Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, the Children’s Commissioner of Suhakam, noted that Act 350 as it currently is has many loopholes, and has a double jeopardy effect on children.
“Child labour is a form of child abuse and exploitation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many parents lost their jobs, while children were not allowed to go to school. The MCO may have driven many children to take up employment to assist their parents financially,” said Noor Aziah.
She added that the extraordinary circumstances of the MCO could have also caused some of the children to be exploited by some employers.
In her role as the Children’s Commissioner, she called for the government to review and amend Act 350, and make special provisions on child labour if there is a necessity to employ a child.
“Otherwise, the government must continue to provide financial assistance to underprivileged families in order to avoid child labour,” she said.
She also called for all primary and secondary education to be made free, to ensure parents have no excuse not to send their children to school, and further urges the government and all stakeholders to materialise the National Action Plan on Child Labour, which was launched by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Ministry of Human Resources on Oct 1, 2019.
“This is pertinent to protect our children from child labour, now more than ever during this Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
This call comes as a commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour, which falls on June 12, and Noor Aziah reiterated the importance of education to children, and emphasised that child labour denies a child’s rights to education and self-development.
“This is because when children go to work, they will have no time to go to school,” she said.
The theme this year, titled “Covid-19: Protect children from child labour, now more than ever!”, was meant to reflect the current pandemic and its impact on children, especially child labourers as they belong to the most vulnerable group.
Under international laws, child labour is prohibited pursuant to the Convention on the Rights of a Child, as well as under the instruments of ILO. In Malaysia, Act 350 governs all matters relating to child labour, and defines a child as a person below the age of 15, while allowing them to work under several circumstances. – June 12, 2020
